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The Effect of Music
Lately I have been listening to a lot of symphonic music, just enjoying the beauty of it. The more I listen to these songs, the more I think about the emotional impact music has on us; not only as individuals, but as a society; and the more I feel the need to express those thoughts to you. I think Ralph Waldo Emerson says it best, “Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.â€
People say that a book can take us to far distant lands and times, experience things that we would never have the opportunity to in our life. But I say that it is music that defines those things, makes us FEEL those experiences. Think about it, would Darth Vader have had the same effect on us without the Imperial March? No. He is defined by that 3 min long piece of music, just as a person is defined by the music they listen to.
Each person has their own "Musical Fingerprint" Don't believe me. Go look at your best friends iPod. Dollars to doughnuts says that they have different songs on there than you do. Yeah, there will be similarities, but their iPod will have songs on it that yours doesn't, and yours will have songs on it that theirs does not. I firmly believe that if you want to know who a person is and what they believe, go scroll though their iPod. But why is that?
The reason is that music has some deep emotional connection to us all. Just like a movie is incomplete without a soundtrack, so our lives our incomplete without music. Someone once said, “Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole. (Music) flows from heaven to the soul.†And its true.
When I think about individual emotions, certain songs come to my head. When I think about anger, heavy songs like "Bombshell" by Powerman 5000 come to mind. When i think about fear, songs like “The Imperial March†come to mind. Love: "Breathing" by Lifehouse. Happiness: "If I Had a Million Dollars" by Barenaked Ladies. Sadness: "Aerith's Theme" from the Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack. Pride: "The Star Spangled Banner" or "Enterprising Young Men" from the new Star Trek movie. And the list goes on for all emtions
But music just doesn't define our emotions. It defines many our experiences as well. For instance, when i hear the song, "War" by James Horner off the "Avatar" soundtrack, I am taken though a wide range of emotions I have felt in my life, like the emotions i have felt all through my dad's battle w/ cancer. But its not just limited to that. I am also reminded of the greatest game of football I ever played in. It was a cold, rainy night in November when i was in the eighth grade, and the team we were playing was our cross-town rivals. It was a very hard fought, cold, muddy game that I cannot express in words. But this one song expresses everything I felt during the course of that ONE game over 10 years ago and that I had never realized that I had felt till now.
Several of you are probably wondering why I am writing this. Well, the music I have been listening to A LOT as of late has been from the "Avatar" soundtrack. And as I listen to it, I cannot help but feel and emotional response to the point of my eyes welling up w/ tears. A lot of people who know me will tell you that I am a very emotional person (even though I don't see it at times) but I rarely get emotional enough to start tearing up. And for not just one song, but several to bring tears to my eyes is an accomplishment in and of itself. And these are not all tears of sadness. When I listen to this soundtrack, I do not relive the movie, but rather I am taken though an entire emotional journey of my life (like that game so long ago.) I go from places of sadness, to anger, to joy, to love, to pride, and much, much more. No other song or soundtrack has done this
Now I cannot help but feel sad. Many people will never get the opportunity to experience what I have never felt until now. Some of you reading this will never understand not only why I feel this way, but why I must share these feelings with you at all. Most of you will agree with me that you feel some kind of emotional connection with music. But until you find that one song that defines who you are, that one song that forces you to relive your whole life's emotions and experiences you will never fully grasp these words. Mary Kay Ash best summed this up by saying, "“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.â€
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